Sand-molding apparatus.



W. M. DUNCAN. SAND MOLDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1911.

Patented Oct. 17,1911.

2 SHBET8-8HEET 1'.

lnvanhor'z 1 WM. Duncan M W AbEY'a W. M. DUNCAN. SAND MOLDING APPARATUS.APPLICATION FILED 11mm, 1911.

1,006,449.- Patented 001. 17,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor: fittest WM. Duncan COLUMBIA PLANBGRAPH CO.,WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM MILLEN DUNCAN, OF ALTQN, ILLINOIS.

SAND-MOLDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1911.

Patented Oct. 1'7, 1911. Serial No. 623,612.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Alton, county of Madison, and

State of Illinols, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSand-Molding Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a sand molding apparatus and it has for itsobject the production of an apparatus of this description in which theseveral steps of producing a mold, compressing or ramming the sandaround the pattern, and finally stripping the sand from the pattern, maybe simply, efliciently, and. quickly performed.

Figure I is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section ofmy sand mold ing apparatus, the parts being in the position assumedbefore the sand compressing action. Fig. II is in part an elevation andin part a vertical section of the flask supporting table, the flask, andthe sand compressing members, the parts being in the positions assumedafter the sand has been compressed and the mold produced. Fig. III is ahorizontal section taken on line III-III, Fig. I.

In the accompanying drawings :1 designates a series of upright columnsand 2 is a bottom bed plate on which the columns are mounted.

3 is an upper bed plate fixed to the columns above the bottom bed plate,and 4 is a top hanger plate mounted on the columns at their upper ends.The three plates 2, 3 and 4 serve respectively as supports for cylinders5, 6, and 7. The cylinder 5 resting on the bottom bed plate 2 contains apiston equipped with a piston rod 8 that extends vertically through thecylinder 6 resting on the upper bed plate 3. The cylinder 6 contains apiston that carries a hollow piston rod 9 through which the piston rod 8extends, and the top cylinder 7 suspended from the hanger plate 4contains a piston provided with a downwardly extending piston rod 10.

11 designates a top presser plate or pattern holder carried by thepiston rod 10 operable in the top cylinder 7, the said presser platebeing loosely fitted to the columns 1 so that said columns serve asguides for the plate during vertical movement thereof.

12 designates a table fixed to the columns 1 and located beneath the toppresser plate 11. This table serves as a support for a flask 13, and inthe table is a vertical opening 14 that is adapted to serve as a well orcompartment in which sand may be deposited at the time that the flask isfilled.

The piston rod 9 carried by the piston operable in the cylinder 6carries a yoke or spider 15 and this yoke or spider serves as a carrierfor a ram plate 16 operable in the aperture in the table 12, and thefunctions of which, aside from its service as a support for the sanddeposited in the well of the table, will hereinafter fully appear. Theram plate carries a sprue G that extends vertically and is of a lengthequal to the height of the flask in which a mold is produced.

The piston rod 8 extending from the piston in the bottom cylinder 5 andthrough the cylinder 6 and piston rod 9 is equipped at its upper endwith a pattern carrier 17 movable within the yoke or spider 15. Thepattern carrier includes stools or pattern holders 18 that are operablein apertures provided therefor in the bottom presser plate 16 and 011which patterns A are seated. The top presser plate 11 also carriespatterns which are alined with the patterns A, the object in providingtwo sets of patterns being to produce flask sections which may be piledone above the other to form the complete flask.

In the use of my apparatus, air under pressure, steam, or other suitablefluid may be introduced into the several cylinders 5, 6, and 7 for thepurpose of imparting movement to the pistons therein and consequentlymoving the piston rods carried thereby so that the parts associated withthese piston rods, as explained, may be moved to and from theirpositions of service in the sand molding operations.

I11 the practical use of my sand molding apparatus, the flask 13 isplaced on the table 12 and the ram plate 16 being in the loweredposition seen in Fig. I, sand is introduced into the flask to fill itand also fill the well in the table 12 above said bottom ram plate. Thetop presser plate or pattern holder 11 is next lowered onto the flask13, in which position it is retained during the molding operation. Thepattern carrier 17 is then elevated a slight distance,-

whereby the patterns A are delivered into the sand in the flask 13 tothe proper degree. The next step consists in elevating the yoke 15 andthe ram plate 16 mounted on said yoke until said ram-plate engages thebottom of the flask. As the ram plate moves upwardly, it compresses thesand in the flask and beneath the flask. so that all of such sand istightly rammed into the middle and sides of the flask and around thepatterns, it being understood that this ramming and compression actionis made possible by reason of the resistance afforded by the top presserplate 11 which remains immovable during the upward movement of thebottom presser plate. As the ram plate 16 moves a greater distance thanthe pattern carrier, it will be understood that the sand is packedtightly at the middle and sides of the flask and is comparatively looseabove the patterns A.

Subsequent to the production of the molds in the flask 13 by theoperations explained, the patterns A are first withdrawn from the flaskby downward movement thereof, while the ram plate remains in itselevated position and serves as a stripper for the patterns, so that themolds produced by the patterns will not receive injury consequent tothe'withdrawal of the patterns therefrom; and, after the patterns. havebeen lowered, the ram plate may be withdrawn from the sand, leaving itsbottom surface and the molds true and perfect. The molds having beenproduced in the flask as described, the top presser plate 11 is elevatedand the flask is removed from the table 12 ready for use.

It is obvious that mechanical means other than the fluid operated ones Ihave described may be utilized to move the presser plate, patterncarrier, and ram plate of my apparatus to and from their operativepositions and I, therefore, wish it understood that I do not limitmyself to the fluid operated means herein shown and described for movingthese parts.

F or the purpose of showing the distinction between my sand moldingapparatus and other types of sand molding apparatuses, and the merits ofmy apparatus as compared with those previously in use, I desire to drawattention to the fact that in sand molding apparatuses as heretoforemade, there has been provision made for ramming the sand over thepattern to compress the sand uniformly throughout the mold. For the bestmolding results, it is absolutely necessary that the sand should be moregreatly compressed around the pattern than it is over the pattern and itis compression of this nature that I provide for in my apparatus. Theram plate 16 of my apparatus not only compresses the sand around thepattern to a greater degree than that over the pattern, but alsocompresses the sand throughout the flask to a high degree of density,even in such flasks as are provided with cross bars, thus dispensingwlth the necessity of additional work of tamping the sand in the flaskswhere such bars are present, and which is ordinarily done by hand afterthe mold has been produced in molding apparatuses at present in vogue.The last mentioned advantage of my ram plate is due to the fact that theram plate acts to compress the sand in its upward movement, so that thesand is made compact under any members, such as cross bars, that may bepresent in the flask. I also wish to further emphasize the advantage ofthe apertured table of my molding apparatus and the ram plate operabletherein. The aperture in the table serves, as previously noted, as awell to hold a deposit of sand beneath the flask resting on the table,such as may be necessary to properly fill the flask when compressed.This eliminates the necessity of carrying out the usual method resortedto in molding apparatuses requiring the retraction or removal of the toppresser member from the flask, in order that an additional quantity ofsand might be placed in the flask, and a second compression of the sandto fill the flask to the proper degree and render the sand of therequisite density. It is to be further noted that the sprue C carried bythe ram plate acts to efiiciently produce a sprue hole l in thesand atthe time that a mold is produced, this sprue penetrating the sand on theupward movement of the ram plate and descending with the ram plate.

hole is thus made entirely through the sand with the sand compressedcompactly around -it, and is'ready to permit the pouring of metaltherethrough after the molds have been completed and mounted one uponanother.

The sprue I claim 1. In a sand molding apparatus, a flask supportingtable provided with a well aperture, a flask seated on said table abovesaid aperture, means for closing the top of said flask, a carrierlocated below the flask' and provided with a pattern holder and apattern on said holder, means for moving said carrier to locate thepattern within the flask, a ram plate surrounding said pattern holder,said ram plate being arranged in said well aperture below said pattern,and means for moving said ram plate to force sand from said wellaperture into the flask after the pattern has been positioned in saidflask.

2. In a sand molding apparatus, a flask supporting table provided with awell aperture, a flask seated on said table, means for closing the topof said flask, a carrier 10- cated below the flask and provided with thepatterns being spaced from the middle and sides of the flask, means formoving said carrier a slight distance to locate the patterns within theflask, a ram plate below the patterns surrounding said pattern holdersso as to force sand from the well aperture into the flask at the sidesand middle of the flask, means for imparting agreater degree of movementto the ram plate than to the pattern holders so as to force a large bodyof sand into the flask after the patterns have been positioned therein.

3. In a sand molding apparatus, a flask supporting table provided with awell aperture, a flask seated on said table above said aperture, a toppattern carrier having patterns on its under side, means for forcingsaid pattern carrier onto the top face of the flask to locate saidpattern Within the flask,

a lower pattern carrier arranged below the flask and provided withpatterns which are alined with the patterns on the top pattern carrier,means for moving said lower pattern carrier to locate the patternscarried thereby in the lower portion of the flask, a ram plate arrangedin said well aperture below the patterns on said lower pattern carrier,said ram plate being provided with openings at points below thepatterns, and means for moving said ram plate to force sand from saidwell aperture into the flask after the patterns have been positioned insaid flask.

WILLIAM MILLEN DUN CAN.

In the presence'of ADELE B. STRATTON, WV. L. JUTTEMEYER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

